The Radio Access Network (RAN), System Architecture (SA) and the Core Terminal (CT) working groups of the third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) aim to develop an Enhanced UTRAN (EUTRAN) architecture for next generation wireless systems. The EUTRAN system is required to co-exist with the current second (2G) and third generation (3G) wireless systems, and in particular, support handovers between the existing systems and the newly evolved EUTRAN system specified in the 3GPP TR 23.882.
FIG. 1 illustrates the EUTRAN system architecture and network elements.
The EUTRAN system is an evolution of the 3GPP UTRAN system, which includes entities including a user equipment (UE) 110, an Enhanced Node B (ENB) 120 and an Enhanced GGSN (EGGSN) 130, as shown in the FIG. 1. The ENB 120 of the EUTRAN system has the features of the Node B and the radio network controller (RNC) of the legacy UTRAN system. The EGGSN 130 has the functionalities of the SGSN and the GGSN of the legacy UTRAN systems.
FIG. 2 illustrates the IWLAN system architecture and network elements.
As shown in FIG. 2, the Integrated WLAN (I-WLAN) system specified in the 3GPP TS 23.234 specifications provides a system and method to integrate legacy UTRAN systems with WLAN systems, as shown in the FIG. 2. The I-WLAN system allows WLAN users to access 3GPP packet switched services.